David Lammy said he was ‘appalled’ and ‘sickened’ at Israel’s actions, as calls grow on the Government to end all arms sales amid fears tens of thousands will starve in Gaza
Israel could face further sanctions from the UK if it does not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, David Lammy said – as pressure mounts to do more to stop the killing of civilians.
The Foreign Secretary said he was “appalled” and “sickened” by Israel ‘s actions, with children among hundreds of Gazans gunned down while waiting for food. It comes as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) began a ground operation targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts.
Mr Lammy faces growing calls to suspend all arms sales to Israel, having previously paused 29 export licences for weapons that could be used in Gaza. But it continues to allow weaponry including parts for F-35 fighter jets, to be sent to Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime.
The World Food Programme has warned that 90,000 women and children face starvation, and accused Israeli troops of using tanks, snipers and other weapons to fire on a crowd seeking aid from the US and Israeli-backed delivery system.
The Foreign Secretary said: “It’s a grotesque spectacle wreaking a terrible human cost.” It comes the morning after he was accused of “cowardice” by a former Tory minister for failing to take firmer action – and warned he could end up in front of the world’s human rights court.
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Mr Lammy told BBC Breakfast: “I feel the same as the British public: appalled, sickened. I described what I saw, yesterday in Parliament, as grotesque.” He added: “These are not words that are usually used by a foreign secretary who is attempting to be diplomatic, but when you see innocent children holding out their hand for food, and you see them shot and killed in the way that we have seen in the last few days, of course Britain must call it out.”
And he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Well, we’ve announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months. There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.
“It’s important that we continue to work with international partners if we are to have the maximum result. But what I want to see is a ceasefire and it’s my assessment that once the Knesset rises on July 28, we are more likely to see a ceasefire come into effect.”
In an emotional exchange in the Commons on Monday, former Tory minister Kit Malhouse told the Foreign Secretary: “At a time when we’ve got daily lynchings and expulsions on the West Bank, dozens being murdered as they beg for aid, I’m just beyond words really at his inaction and frankly complicity by inaction on what is going on.”
Mr Malthouse said that “leading genocide scholars from around the world are ringing the alarm bells” and added: “Can he not see that his inaction and frankly cowardice is making this country irrelevant? Can he also not see the personal risk for him given our international obligations that he may end up at the Hague because of his inaction.”
Mr Lammy shot back: “I understand the fury that the Right Honourable Gentleman feels, but I have to tell him that it demeans his argument when he personalises it in the way he does. It’s unbecoming and not something that the House expects, particularly of more senior members.”
Mr Lammy was also asked whether he had not gone further in sanctioning Israel in order to avoid upsetting US President Donald Trump. Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller asked the Foreign Secretary: “Can he explain why there have been so few consequences since he and the minister spoke so powerfully in the last two months?
“And can he dispel the widespread view that he is not setting the policy he would choose, but that he is instead being reined in by No 10’s desire not to upset President Trump, by acting more boldly.” Mr Lammy said “it is a source of great regret” that the conflict has not been brought to an end.
In his statement to Parliament, Mr Lammy also announced a new £60 million package to support food assistance programmes, water and sanitation services and maternal and children’s healthcare in Gaza. At the Commons Liaison Committee on Monday, Keir Starmer reiterated his commitment to recognising a Palestinian state and described the situation in Gaza as “intolerable”.
He said: “Whether that’s the deaths of those that are queuing for aid, whether it’s the plans to force Palestinians to live in certain areas or be excluded from certain areas, they are all intolerable and absolutely wrong in principle.”
On Monday Mr Lammy and counterparts from 24 other nations including Australia, Canada and France,, urged Israel to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid.”
In a statement the politicians said: “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.
“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
But Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s Crisis Response Manager, said: “These are empty words from the Foreign Secretary – the statement lacks any resolve, leadership or action to help end the crisis in Gaza.
“The UK government must show real backbone by immediately halting all arms exports to Israel – whether direct or indirect – including components for F-35 fighter jets.”
In response, Israel’s foreign ministry claimed the statement was “disconnected from reality” and “sends the wrong message to Hamas.” “The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” the ministry said.